Skytrain Stopover: Cafes and Chinese food at Richmond Brighouse

It’s only fitting to start this series with a stop at arguably one of the best food areas in the region — Richmond.

We’re trying to limit locations that can be walked to in about five minutes. Luckily Richmond Brighouse delivers. I’ll be returning to this location again in the future, but for now, here are a few from my recent visits.

Miion Cafe

• Address: 6386 Cook Rd.

Miion Cafe is a cute little shop. It has the aesthetics of what you’d expect in a cafe — wood panelling, tastefully placed books and artisan (expensive) coffee beans. 

It’s a small space but wasn’t busy when I visited, a nice location to stop and sit down after spending too much time at Uniqlo.

I’ve become more partial to Hojicha in the past year. It’s a type of tea that imparts a smooth, nutty favour, made from roasted green tea leaves. I even made ice cream from it, which I cannot recommend enough.

Miion’s Hojicha latte was spot on, a robust but smooth tea that pairs well with dairy, though at $5.50 it still feels expensive. 

They’re also using ube in their baking. A purple South Asian root, North Americans would call it it a yam or sweet potato, it imparts a rich purple colour which you may notice in some bubble tea drinks.

Their ube cream cheese muffin was delightful. It had a subtle flavour, but it and the lightly sweetened cream cheese frosting worked well together.

Fresh Press Coffee Bar

• Address: 6386 Number 3 Rd #105

For my millennial readers, this coffee shop and travel agency combination brings to mind historically significant combo buildings such as Pizza Hut/Taco Bell and Wendy’s/Tim Hortons.

I highly doubt it’s the only coffee shop and travel agency combo in the city, but it likely has one of the better matchas, and the team working the counter were incredibly friendly.

While matcha is not always my cup of tea (pun intended) due to the light bitterness and texture, I’ve found it pairs nicely with a sweet addition. Case in point, their mango matcha cream drink. 

At $8 it’s not cheap. But the combination of the slightly bitter matcha, sweet mango and hint of dairy provided a nice contrast. They have a few other creative drinks, including matcha lavender or coconut latte.

A Bao Time

• Address: 6386 Number 3 Rd #159

Pillowy dough, warm pockets of meat, what’s not to love? When done right, baos are delightful both in terms of flavour and portability.

A Bao Time is trying to do many things but mostly succeeds on all fronts. It’s a cheap grab-and-go spot, a frozen dim sum repository and a sushi kiosk. But let’s not get distracted, I came for the bao.

The lamb cumin bao was a winner. If Xinjiang Chinese food is your thing, loaded with cumin and spice, then this is the bao for you, a wallop of the smokey spice alongside a nicely sweet sauce.

The pork was less enthralling, the bao bun having gotten soaked on the inside by the meat creating a soggy, unappealing texture. If pork and lamb aren’t your meats, they have crayfish, kung pow chicken and shrimp.

But the price… At $2.25 a bun, you could fill yourself up for a cool $6.75. Where else can you find a deal like that?

There were many other options including a selection of dim sum dishes priced between $2.50-$6.99, soya drinks and other teas, and a heaping bowl of congee between $4.99-$7.99, which unfortunately was a bit more watery than I prefer.

Don’t come looking for seating, because there’s none available. For a quick bite in between shopping, it’s hard to beat this price.

The cashier noted that the items were all made by Yum Yum and brought to the store.

Yanbian BBQ

• Address: 8291 Ackroyd Rd #150

I’m cheating here, as this is actually 10 minutes away, but I had to include it after a stellar visit back in August. Here’s an exert from my review:

“Focused on Dongbei cuisine, the menu is both expansive and simple. The skewer and grill section boasts 30+ options, from the mundane beef, to chicken hearts, to the not-for-the-faint-of-heart pork intestine and chicken gizzards. There are a few vegetarian options as well, like Chinese leek, corn and dried tofu.

The skewers come when they are ready, a handful dropped onto a slightly heated metal grill. Most are flavoured with a mixture of cumin and some sort of spice. It’s not hot, more of a pleasant surprise, though I was still reaching for water. Specks of cumin dotted the meat, imparting a sharp flavour that mingled nicely with the spice.”

Read the entire review

Myth Szechuan

• Address: 8100 Ackroyd Rd #80

A more fulsome review of this place is coming at a later date with a deep dive on other great Szechuan spots in Richmond.

I will say this is a safe place for those looking to explore Szechuan food with friends. A robust menu with English descriptions, full of all the classics with helpful photos, with huge portion sizes, which is why I’d recommend bringing some friends along.

CHICHA San Chen

• Address: 6386 Number 3 Rd #157, Richmond, BC V6Y 2B3

It’s been almost two years since I’ve been to this bubble tea spot. What stood out the most were the boba pearls, which were some of the best I’ve had - well cooked, chewy and sweet, just the way I like them. They also have three other locations throughout Metro Vancouver, and in Ontario and Quebec.